Yes, it is with this bad pun that could be described Yoann Levet, the man behind the ants. Yoann young father in the Rhône-Alpes region is a new designer who brought us Myrmes in 2012, illustrated by Arnaud Demaegd. Myrmes is a game of resource management on the topic of ants and their colony very detailed. Yoann has been selected for numerous awards for this first game and also received some such as l’As d’Or, Game of the Year 2013 in Cannes. I would recomand you to go to your local toy library and try this game.
I see a great playful future for Yoann and 2014 will be a good example!
So here are the 7 questions for Yoann Levet!
1 – How old were you when you played your first board game and what was it ?
« My parents played cards enormously and they introduced us very soon my brothers, my sister and I to games like pinochle or tarot. I think I was 6 or 7 years old. It was very late when I discovered modern games with The Settlers of Catan in 2003, when I was 27 years old. «
2 – Why and how did you decide to create board games ?
« In fact I never really decided to create a game, it is really by chance. I have also never tried to create a game and have never even felt the need. But one day, an idea oftheme and mechanics who married well germinated in my mind and completely inspired by this, I created my first game in a few days. Followed by a combination of fortunate circumstances that made me be in the right places at the right time to the right people and a few months later the baby was born Myrmes. I really feel very lucky to have had this adventure. «
3 – What are your 3 favorite board games and why?
« It is always difficult for me to classify games and tell those I prefer. I am usually very good public in general and loves everything that I play, I think it’s a chance. I could almost say that my favorite game is the one that I’m playing curently. But if he had to keep only 3 in alphabetical order because it is difficult to classify different games, I would say:
Antiquity: For the depth, Myrmes is inspired largely by it (and humbly).
Ricochet Robot: To his infinite replayability and dose of reflection ithat is generates compared to the simplicity of its rules and its equipment.
Tigris and Euphrates: for his wealth, after 150 games, I still discover some subtleties. «
4 – For you what is the best combination for a successful game ?
« I think that there is no recipe, sometimes good games go unnoticed and bad games are crowned. By cons, if the question was not to make a game « successful » but a « good game » I would say that the game must be simple in its rules but complex in its mastery, the theme speaks to the players and especially since it has an impeccable ergonomics. «
5 – How do you proceed to create a game ?
« I think some people expect to have a precise and well framed idea in their mind to engage in tests. For my part, when I have some sort of idea, I start digging equipment in the various games that I own to do some tests. It sometimes does not give much, but when it runs well, it gives me more ideas and little by little I try to add elements of complexity to it. When I have something viable, I seat in front of my computer to create material that sticks to the game mechanics that I created and I then launche tests with my wife, then with my friends. Knowing that I do not have either a huge experience behind me. Myrmes was my first prototype and I have since made only 3 or 4 others. «
6 – What advice would you give to someone wishing to create a board game ?
« Trying to use any idea he may have. By looking good you could always use a little idea ofmechanics. The most important thing is not to make a mechanical jewel every time but exploit idea which can be used one day to another game. Personally I have many ideas of mechanics that were not finally accomplished but these reflections I conducted, sometimes served me later when I was working on other mechanics which turned better. «
7 – Could you give us some information on your next project ?
« The most successful proto on which I am currently working is like Myrmes, a game of resource management on the topic of ants. No, this is not a joke ! Except that the public of this new game is not the same, while Myrmes was intended for the most demanding core gamers, this new game will be played as well seasoned players as in family through several levels of difficulty. In fact the idea of this game is somehow occurred in response to a sort of challenge that was launched by Benoit Forget from Purplebrain Créations to create a resource management game that is playable with children, would fit perfectly within his line account and game idea. This idea inspired me complately and a game like Myrmes, mechanical ideas have appeared obvious to me in a few days and the game took shape. What a beautiful snook have had the idea of it sticking to the theme of The Grasshopper and the Ant, I smiled about it again. I am currently in this period of intensive testing in which I operate their biggest regret my wife and all my friends including the Ludochons. This project could well see the end of 2014 days . «
Thank you Yoann for answering the 7 questions. For more information on Myrmes:
http://www.ystari.com/wordpress/?cat=57
and for more information on Ludochons: http://www.ludochons.com/